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Happy Holidays! The Concept: Synergy office will be closed from Friday, December 22 until Jan. 2, 2018. Streaming and downloading services are fully available as well as the Pay-per-Views that can be purchased from the shopping cart. Physical products ordered after December 18 will be shipped when we reopen Jan. 2.

In our blog, you’ll find information about metaphysics and spirituality from Lazaris and Jach, excerpts from Lazaris recordings and interviews, and travelogues from Jach’s adventures around the world.Blog Index

2016, The Year of Co-Creation, is the first year that Lazaris created a talisman for a specific year. In this inspiring video Jach talks about how he works
with Lazaris to create talismans, how he works with this one, and more. These insights can add depth and meaning to talisman magic, and inspire you to
expand your magic in ways you may not have considered. Topics included:

how Lazaris and Jach create the form, symbols, and colors of the talisman

4:00 a.m. Wednesday morning. I am lying on a futon with a hard pillow behind my head and a thick down comforter covering me. There is a chill in the air.
Sweet. To my right there is a wall of window. In the predawn light, the window frame seems a picture frame that’s framing a Japanese wood block print.
Dark gray sky, white cloud mountains and silhouetted trees, stark as if they had been cut out of black construction paper. Beautiful harbinger of the
day to come.

Monday was our final day in Tokyo. We went to the Senso Ji or Asakusa Temple. We arrived at the temple gate at 11:00 and it took us 90 minutes to finally
enter the actual temple. The walkway and the side streets are lined with hundreds of tiny tourist shops, and there were thousands of people milling
about. It was great fun. We bought chop sticks and I bought some postcards. The temple is a Buddhist Temple and the oldest one in Tokyo. The surrounding
area is “old Tokyo” offering a view of what Tokyo once was. Enchanting. Charming.

I felt more at home here. Not sure why. It was crowded, hectic, and loud . . . very different than the Meiji Shrine with its elegant and majestic grounds.
Anyway, I had a great time at the Temple and I really enjoyed walking the narrow streets of the surrounding neighborhood. We continued strolling those
narrow street until we found a wonderful lunch place, “Goroku,.” We had what we called Japanese Tapas. I had Assorted Tempura, Pork Rolls, Crab Coquettes,
along with a glass of red wine. Everything was delicious. Ready to go again, we continued walking the area and finally caught a taxi to head to another
part of town for the evening.

40 minutes later we were in a glitzy part of town called Kabukicho in the area called Shinjuku. Bright colorful neon flashing lights. Young, fast paced,
alive. Street barkers encouraging people to eat at this restaurant or to take in that show. The taxi driver got us as close as he could and it was
fun walking the pedestrian streets looking for “Robot Restaurant.” Up this street, down that one, turn left there and then right, we finally found
it. Huge sign nearly 30 feet long. Wow.

We went to the Robot Restaurant for the show. It is not a restaurant and as it turned out it wasn’t really a show, or at least not something I would call
a show. It was the worst “show” I’ve ever seen. The only saving grace was that it was so bad that it was funny, and I was curious to see just how bad
it would be. How bad was it? The bottom.

As we left I smiled and thought about how our universe, a reflection of something more real, expresses itself as a duality. We have experiences the ups,
and now the downs of Tokyo. It’s time to move on.

Tuesday morning we had gone to Tokyo Station and waited on Platform 17 to take the noon Bullet Train to Kyoto. We arrived mid-afternoon at our hotel —
Gion Hatanaka Ryokan. A Ryokan is a traditional Japanese county inn. This one is beautiful. Minimalistic in design with an elegant ambiance. We had
a traditional Japanese dinner served in our room. Several courses, each a work of art as well as a delicious dish — haute cuisine of nine courses.
Beautiful. After dinner our server set up the futon beds, and we went down to the public baths on the lower level of the Ryokan. We will move to a
Western hotel today but we wanted to have one night at a place like this.

It’s now 7:30 a.m. I am still looking out my window. My “Japanese Wood Block” painting has shifted now to become a lush green morning with a soft blue
sky. There’s a rainbow arching between the trees. Yes, a beautiful day to come. Our Japanese breakfast will arrive at 8:30 and we will discover what
the days holds.

Tokyo is huge and the architecture is fascinating. What seems obvious really became more obvious Sunday morning as we made our way to Ropongi and then
to Ropongi Hills, a trendy area of the city not far from our hotel. Near the Grand Hyatt, we got our tickets and took the elevator up 52 floors to
the City View — a round glass enclosed observation room with a small cafe, a museum, and incredible views — stunning views — of Tokyo.
It was another crisp morning, about 60 degrees F, and the winds were gusting, but the sky was powerfully blue. The city sparkled. Towering buildings,
patches of green parks, low warehouses and storage buildings down by the piers, and the deep blues of the seemingly endless bay. Captivating. We were
there for more than an hour.

Then we explored the rest of that 52nd floor. There were scale models of the city that filled the side rooms. As many as 30 people at a time stood silently
peering over the lucite walls marveling at the detail or identifying neighborhoods and buildings. On the walls, decade by decade descriptions of the
development of the modern city of Tokyo. It was all in Japanese, but it was impressive even to my eye. The display in any language, was beautiful.

Finally we left the City View and explored Ropongi Hills. It was Sunday morning and already the foot traffic was building. Yes, a huge city with an increasingly
huge population. We found a restaurant for an early lunch and then planned to head out to the Meiji Shrine.

Previously at the hotel when we inquired about the Imperial Palace, the attendant at the front desk took a post-it size paper and wrote the words “Imperial
Palace” in Japanese characters. Often taxi drivers don’t know the English names of their shrines and tourist attractions. So rather than pointing to
a location on a city map, we gave the driver the paper. Easy. Elegant.

We asked the waiter to write “Meiji Shrine.” Smiling broadly, he returned with a small paper and it said, “I would like to go to the Meiji Shrine,” in
characters. We were off in the easy flow of traffic to some other part of the city and one of the most famous and most popular Shrines in Tokyo.

We stood several long minutes at the Gate, the 40 feet tall entrance to the grounds of the Shine. Amazing. Almost immediately we felt the reverence; others
did too. As we made our way along the walkway, I listened to the “music.” The crunch of gravel underfoot as hundreds of people walked the pathways
in silence that was accentuated as kids intentionally shuffled along. Shush, shush, shush. The call of the ravens in the trees that, at times, swooping
low overhead. A soft whisper of a breeze playing in the trees. It all added to majesty of the place and to the honor of the procession of people making
their way to the Shrine of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken.

The Emperor Meiji is credited with bringing Japan out of the feudal system and out of over 200 years of isolation. He is credited with introducing Western
technology and culture to Japan. He lifted Japan into economic viability and vitality as he ended the Edo Era and as he opened Japan to a new world
in which the old structures — structures that needed to be replaced — broke down making room for a new way of living and a new way of being.
It felt appropriate to be walking the pathways to the Shrine.

The buildings weren’t that impressive, but the energy was. The several original buildings, some still being restored, were traditional Japanese, Shinto.
Practical. Symbolic. Not intended to dazzle. This temple is where the souls of Meiji and his wife are enshrined. There’s a reverence and a reverie
here that supersedes the physical design. There is a presence here that is available without being imposing.

Meiji and Shoken wrote “Wakas.” They are 31 syllable Japanese poems intended to offer subtle insight or guidance to living a better life. Meiji wrote over
100,000 of them; Shoken wrote 30,000. I purchased two. I reached into the box and dug around and picked one Waka for me and another for our Asia Excursion.

My Waka: “We shall fall behind our fellows in the world if, when we should advance, we make no move at all.” — Emperor Meiji

I smiled thinking about how God/Goddess/All That Is — God, Goddess — are continually growing, becoming more. Our souls and Higher Selves are
continually growing and becoming more. If we aren’t, we are falling behind. I like the phrase, “when we should advance.”

The Waka for our journey: “As clear and refreshing as the rising sun — thus might it always be with the human heart.” — Emperor Meiji

Okay, so I am going to begin each morning of our journey through Asia, with my heart open to the refreshing clarity of a sunrise. Focus on the light of
a new dawn, of a new day. Always.

It was a magical afternoon. From the Shrine we walked the grounds. The call of the ravens was loud and persistent. One raven swooped low and landed on
a fence. We chatted for a bit and then he flew off. We walked on.

The public access to the Shrine closed at 4:00 and we along with hundreds of people began meandering our way toward the gate. Around 4:30 we move with
the steady flow of people through the narrow exit. Ahead of us, a grand boulevard of shops: modern shops, old shops, simple shops, and high end shops.
Ahead of us, thousands of people strolling along the sidewalks, sidewalks that are 10 to 12 feet wide and the people are moving like an undulating
human river. Amazing. Intriguing. It was Sunday early evening and there were throngs of people walking this shopping highway. I got a photo.

We walked or flowed with the crowd for nearly a half hour. It was our “grounding time.” Hailing a taxi, we made our way back to the New Otani Hotel, Garden
Tower. A fine day. A quiet night.

Arriving in Tokyo in the evening was a fortunate change in our plans imposed by the airline. I had made our reservations to leave SFO at 2:00 a.m. on November
2 and we were scheduled to arrive in Tokyo at 5:00 a.m. Wasn’t sure what we would do from 5:00 a.m. until we could check into our hotel, but I figured
we could handle it. It was Cathay Pacific or JAL that changed the schedule and our departure was pushed forward 14 hours to 4:00 p.m. Arriving in the
evening was great because we could be awake for only a few more hours and then sleep. Nice.

Immigration was so easy and baggage claim was fast. Through customs in a breeze, our driver was there with my name spelled correctly. We arrived at the
New Otani Hotel and were in our room by 9:00 p.m. Peggy, Enrique’s mother, had flown in from Rome and had arrived mid-afternoon. The hotel restaurants
close at 10:00. We rushed down to the restaurant for my last “western meal.” I had a juicy square hamburger with all the imaginable trimmings. $25.00.
Ha! I know prices are high in huge cities. I knew prices were high in Tokyo and all of Japan. Still. It’s a bit of shock. $25.00 for a hamburger? $8.50
for a soft drink in a glass?

In Cuba I expected to find only the facades of old buildings and vintage cars. I did. In Tokyo I expected to find high prices. I did and I am continuing
to find high prices.

However I didn’t expect to encounter people who are so courteous and so very kind. Gentle people who seem eager to help tourist such as us. Several times
we stood looking both curiously and helplessly at our maps. Each time someone came up and quietly bowed and asked if we they could help. Some spoke
English fluently with excellent pronunciation while others struggled to find the words and to pronounce them correctly. But each was patient and helpful.

I also didn’t expect to find such a clean city. No litter. None. Really. None. No graffiti (so far?) and the buildings seemed to sparkle in the sunshine.
The white bricks were still white. Not darkened by auto exhaust and other air pollution. No paper in the gutters. No cigarette butts. Clean everywhere.
We walked quite a bit in the Akasaka area: narrow old streets, tiny shops, many restaurants with secluded doorways, and not a speck of litter anywhere.
I didn’t expect to see the streets and the buildings so clean. And then there’s the architecture . It’s wonderfully creative and inventive. Okay, I
expected that.

I didn’t expect the tranquility that I felt. I mean, Tokyo is a huge city with all kinds of traffic and highways creating a crisscross maze of concrete.
I expected the hectic frenzy of New York City or Bogota or even Cali, Colombia. But no. Loads of traffic but it was all moving in a quiet orderly fashion.
Thousands of people, many with those white masks covering mouth and nose, but everyone walking casually and minding the walk-don’t walk signs. There
was one intersection where each road was six lanes wide. The cross walks created an X in the intersection. All the lights turned red simultaneously.
All traffic stopped. Silence. Suddenly streams of people from all four corners walked in all directions: straight ahead, left or right, or diagonally
criss crossed through the middle of the intersection. A massive flow of humanity in confluence. It was orderly. No pushing, no shoving, no congestion,
just easy flow. A dance. It was quite beautiful.

The people, the landscaping and architecture, and the tranquility . . . there is something delightful and mysterious about this city. We will be here for
four days before taking the Bullet Train to Kyoto. I am eager to explore this city before going to that one. Our Asia Excursion is only 3 days old
and already . . . yes, it’s going to be a magic journey.

Friday: Late morning with a walk across the street to find a breakfast place. Found a delightful restaurant called Starbucks. [s] Yeah, all the Japanese
restaurant were closed until 11:00 a.m. when they opened for lunch. Starbucks for a coffee and a spinach quiche, then we walked for several hours finding
a local lunch place. After lunch we went to the Imperial Palace. We anticipated a going on a tour of the palace. Not so. There are tours of the grounds
but none that actually go into the palace. Disappointed we walked to the Ginza area and found the department store Food Court and were astounded. We
bought fruit, cheese, crackers — dinner for Friday night.

Saturday: After a Japanese breakfast at the hotel, we went on a 4 hour tour of the city and ended up at the East Garden of the Imperial Palace. It is a
beautiful garden rich in greenery and powerful in tranquility. We walked for nearly an hour, and then we made our way back to the hotel. We had dinner
reservations at Tajimaya Ginza. We had Sukiyaki . . . . incredible. The food, the service, the ambiance, the entire evening was memorable — an
incredible moment that lasted nearly 3 hours linearly. Forever beyond the linear.

What was that amazing smell? It was seductive for sure. I made my way through the Food Court at Mitsukoshi, the department store in the Ginza area of Tokyo.
It was the bread department and the scent of warm fresh bread was almost overpowering. I had never smelled such sensational smells. Amazing. Sensuous
scents. The experience on this Friday afternoon was definitely enhanced by the whole of the food court. It wasn’t like food courts in the US. No Burger
King or pizza place or even a noodle shop. The foods were prepared as works of art. Usually I don’t take many photos and I seldom take photos of food.
This was an exception.

Enrique and I had been planning our Asia Excursion for nearly a year. Initially it was my idea and I suggested that we invite Peggy, Enrique’s mother,
to join us. Over the months, what began as a cruise of Malaysia that started and ended in Singapore and included Viet Nam and Thailand grew into visiting
Bali again. Of course. We’ll stay at the Komaneka at Bisma again and we will have a day tour with our favorite Balinese guide from the last time. Of
course. Oh, and yes, we need to spend some time in Hong Kong. It was late in the planning that we added Japan — Tokyo and Kyoto. We sneaked it
in ahead of Hong Kong and our excursion began November 2 — a few days after the San Francisco Bay Area intensive.

The workshop ended Sunday, October 30. We stayed on at the Pullman Hotel because on November 1 Lazaris would be recording an online workshop to be released
before year’s end. We finalized our packing that evening and we flew from SFO to Tokyo on Wednesday, November 2, at 4:00 p.m. and we arrived Thursday
evening in Tokyo. It was an 11 hour flight with a 16 hour time change, and it was also an elegant way to begin our six week excursion.

From time to time I will be posting messages here. Today it’s food. The horizons will expand but I just couldn’t help it. I had to send off these photos.

Forgiveness is such a powerful tool; it is only recently that I have come to realize that it is far more powerful than I thought. We often think of forgiveness
as the proper thing to do and we have all heard the clichés about the importance and beauty of it. It's the Christian thing to do or the spiritual
thing to do. And it is. I mean, those thoughts are correct.

But it is more than that, too. It truly is a powerful technique that can profoundly and instantly change our reality. That is why the title tonight is
The Dynamism of Forgiveness. Dynamism describes a process whereby the nature of reality -- of our illusion -- is a function of force and energy rather
than of movement and mass. The velocity and mass are quantitative measurements but the true building blocks are energy and force. It takes very little
energy and force to generate a change in mass. So it is the force and energy of forgiveness that I thought we could talk about tonight.

Q: Why is it so much easier to forgive others but so difficult to forgive ourselves?

Jach:

You know, the answer to that does vary so much with each of us. However, at this point in our growth, when this happens to me I look at why I don't want
to forgive myself. I mean, for someone who knows little about forgiveness the answers may vary, but most of us here know a great deal about it. So
I ask myself why don't I want to forgive myself. Sure, the obvious answer is that I still want to punish myself. That could be true. I also look at
this: Am I still wanting to keep others on the hook? What I mean is this: If I forgive myself now, then all is well and the changes can happen and
the freedom can come and all is well. But if I refuse to forgive myself, then I am in a less-than-adult place. I am being less than my true self. I
am being less than my "more." Why would I do that? Why would I do that to me? And why would I do that to others?

This is what helps me get off the difficulty of forgiving myself. Beyond that, I suppose it has to do with belief structures that say it is better to forgive
others and better to punish self. [g] Anyway, this is the way I approach it.

Q: How to know if I really forgave myself, or just went through the motions?

Jach:

Well, reality is a nifty feedback mechanism. [g] If any of us have just gone through the motions (motion without emotion, as Lazaris would say), our reality
will reflect that soon enough. And if we did do the forgiveness, reality will show that.

See, the force of forgiveness has not speed. It is not mass and it is not motion. Forgiveness has not speed. It is or it isn't. It is a quanta phenomenon.
Forgiveness, like change, may not have speed, but it does have size, the size of the change we make, the size of the forgiveness we allow. There are
things that can make the forgiveness smaller in size or larger in size. I think that reality reflects and expresses that nicely. I have found it so.
Also, when the forgiveness is real, it feels freeing. There is an exhilaration and an exuberance -- there is a breath, a breath of release or of healing
or of something. Perhaps it is called knowing.

As a quick aside, knowing is something that we think is a big mystery. It is mysterious and it can be mystical, but I think knowing is probably a lot easier
than we sometimes think or allow it to be. When we know, we know. When we don't, we don't. It seems to me that the mystery is not about knowing as
much as it is about why we will not tell ourselves the truth about knowing. [g]

Q: How do I know when I've forgiven "enough" (i.e., when I'm done with forgiveness)?

Jach:

Again, reality, though an illusion, is a great feedback mechanism. It is the best biofeedback machine we have. [g] And again, I think the freedom that
we feel and the sense of knowing is a big part of it. Perhaps we have forgiven ourselves enough when we feel that release.

Also, there are stages of forgiveness. I think once we have honestly and consciously moved through those stages, the forgiveness will be enough. I also
think that when we do not go through the specific stages of forgiveness we risk falling short of our goal.

The stages for those who are not familiar with them are:

Stage 1: Denial -- denying the need to forgive ourselves or others or denying the value of forgiveness.

Stage 2: Then comes the blame stage. We know that blaming does not work, but that does not stop us from doing it in life. [g] And it is the second stage
of forgiveness. Once we really own that there is something to forgive and that there is value in forgiving, then we hit the blame stage. This can be
blaming others or it can be self blame. But it is a stage, as Lazaris points out, and we need to deal with it. I think if we ignore this stage for
example, the forgiveness risks not being complete.

Stage 3: Self-Pity. Yeah, need I say more. [g]

Stage 4: Indignation. This is such a powerful stage. And we, spiritual people that we are, often deny this stage or want to say we don't have this stage,
but it is there. I have found that it is essential to respect this stage.

Stage 5: Becoming conscious of the why of the situation or circumstance of forgiveness; learning the lesson that is there; and giving meaning and significance
to the constricting and the expanding potentials of the situation before forgiving it.

Stage 6: Freedom. See, that is why I think we know when we are done: freedom.

And the final stage that Lazaris talks of is Integration, the actual forgiving of self and then of others and moving on. He stresses the moving on,

let it go and move on. It is part of the intensity of the force and energy that is the dynamism of forgiveness.

Q: How does indebtedness play into this dynamism?

Jach:

I think this is an important question and I think it goes back to the size (not the speed) of forgiveness. We can each do the same meditation and process
of forgiveness, and it can be around the same kind of issue, yet for one of us the size of that forgiveness may be much larger than it is for the other.

What influences the size of forgiveness is the energy and force that we muster. What influences the size of forgiveness alters the impact of the dynamism.
Lazaris points out certain things that can influence the impact of the force and energy. This is an important point, I think. The dynamism: it takes
very little force and energy to change reality. It is the force and energy not the movement and mass. Okay. It takes very little energy. I use a little
energy and force. You use a little energy and force. The dynamics or dynamism for each of us is the same. What then makes the size of the forgiveness
different? It is how we let that dynamism impact us. See, forgiveness is not a reward. It is not something we earn. It is an energy. It is non-discriminatory.
It does not discriminate; we do. It does not set boundaries of its size; we do.

The things that can influence the size of forgiveness:

1. The source of the pain: who did it to us.

2. The dimensions of the pain: length, width, depth, and the "space-time" of the pain.

3. What is our reaction pattern to being wronged? How much do we hurt ourselves and punish others when we are wronged?

4. Our resistance to the concepts and ideas of forgiveness. Our reluctance to entertain and follow through upon the concepts and ideas of forgiveness.

5. Stuck in one or another stage of forgiveness, stuck in pity or in blame or in indignation, and often denying that there is any indignation. [g]

6. The dimensions of our love also are key. If those dimensions of love are shallow, forgiveness will probably be shallow.

7. Relationship with the future. If we do not have a working rapport with the future, the size of forgiveness can be severely affected.

So all of this ties into indebtedness, which also dampens and can stop the energy and force of forgiveness totally. Even more energy and more force (Binford
style) is not the answer when it comes to indebtedness.

Q: Jach, could you expand more about forgiveness as a letting go of old ideas and images such as illness and malady? Do you feel there is any limit to this?

Jach:

Well, I am not sure that forgiveness is a letting go of old ideas and images. [g] I think that we can use forgiveness to accomplish this end result, but
I don't think the letting go is forgiveness. Often the forgiveness aspect is to forgive ourselves for holding onto the old ideas and images. When we
come to finally admit that that is what we have been doing, we can feel pretty foolish. We can feel indebted to our Higher Self for indulging us our
indulgences for so long. In this case, once we forgive ourselves, then we can let go. I see them as separate activities that call us to separate tasks.

Beyond this, forgiving others may be a critical link. I mean, if we are holding onto those old ideas or old images to maintain a hidden agenda or to maintain
a function of blaming them, then that forgiveness would probably have to come first. But even so, then the letting go would follow.

With illness sometimes we blame our bodies for getting ill, sometimes we blame ourselves. Sadly, in the New Age, there are those who hold severe better
thans about themselves (who are well) and severe less thans about others (who are ill). We often buy into that New Age arrogance, sometimes consciously,
most often unconsciously. If we do blame our bodies or ourselves, as well as changing the belief about illness, forgiveness would be in order, wouldn't
it?

I refer back to the stages of forgiveness: if we are in a state of denial or one of blame or pity or one of indignation, then forgiveness seems to be an
answer and an issue, our issue and part of our answer. So around illness or another malady, around anything that we sense as failure, there is a role
for forgiveness.

Is there a limit? Sure there is. But that limit is not inherent in the forgiveness. I think its power is unlimited.The limits are not inherent in us, either.
But they are within the beliefs we choose to hold. I don't even say within our beliefs, but within the beliefs that we choose to hold. And more and
more the limits are contained in the choices -- the quality of the choices-- we choose to make. Or, at least that is how it seems to me. [vbg] Thanks
for asking.

Q: Why does forgiving often feel like giving in or wimping out?

Jach:

Well, I know what you mean. I have felt that and I have felt waves and waves of anger when I have approached forgiveness from that point of view. We are
conditioned to think that. Chauvinism with its twists teaches us that the only acceptable way to be is to be on top of the heap, to be the best and
to be number one, to be king of the mountain in the hierarchy of competition and comparison. Forgiveness, on this battleground, is tantamount to defeat.
Forgiveness, on that turf, is utter failure. "Cry uncle." "I give." We are conditioned. Until we face and deny that conditioning -- until we start
defining what forgiveness is for us -- we are often bound by that conditioning. That conditioning is an avenue of least effort. It is easy to feel
that it is wimpy to forgive.

It is a strange irony isn't it that the consensus society in America holds Christian values. Paramount in such values is the value of forgiveness, yet
it is held as weak and giving in. I wonder how a good Christian holds it when Jesus talked of forgiveness and forgave? Jesus, the wimp? Jesus, the
loser who gave up? I doubt it. [g]

Beyond that conditioning, I think we each need to look at why we would want to continue feeling that way. As I said before, for someone who is naive, who
has not been engaged and involved in spiritual pursuits, following the conditioning would continue to make sense. But once we are free of that conditioning,
then we have to ask ourselves why we persist. It doesn't mean we are bad or wrong. We may have other agendas. Maybe we have other agendas for which
we need to -- that's right -- forgive ourselves. [g]

Q: Jach, it seems permission and authority are involved in self-forgiveness. Can you speak about this?

Jach:

LOL . . . thanks . . . the $5.00 will be in the mail tomorrow. Because the question was so appropriate, people might think I put you up to it. [g]

Anyway, Lazaris has talked so much already this year about the new kind of empowerment that involves finding and creating permission inside us, finding
and creating authority (authorship, originality, innovation, inventiveness) inside ourselves. But you know, even as we come to understand and know
this, some of us will still look outside ourselves. Some of us will still consider any permission we might grant or authority we might have is tainted
or spoiled, as we are tainted and spoiled. When we are caught in the unresolved stages of forgiveness we will find it more difficult to empower ourselves.

The explanations and reasons, all valid and legitimate, may be many, but the answer or the solution can come down to forgiveness. Forgiveness is not a
panacea; it is not the one prescription that is going to solve all our ills. But forgiveness can be -- CAN BE -- a phenomenal tool toward that end.
It can, likewise, play a critical and phenomenal role in empowerment. And why do we forgive others more easily than ourselves? Empowerment: we lack
the permission, we lack the authority, to forgive ourselves. When do we know we feel empowered? Ha! I am discovering my own answers as I am typing
along. [g]

Q: When you say it takes very little energy and force to change a mass, are you saying that forgiveness is such a force that can change a "mass," that can change a lot of issues for us by forgiving ourselves around one issue, and then that change translates into changes perhaps in other areas where we weren't even working on forgiving ourselves?

Jach:

And another $5.00 is on its way. [g] What a fun question. Yes, that is how it seems to me. That is also my experience. Forgiveness *used* to work one way.
It did not have that dynamism that it seems to have now. I would find an issue, forgive myself, and move on. The forgiveness would reflect in my world
and it was wonderful. It was magical and I discovered a bit more of who I really am. But everything is different now.

Forgiveness has always had a dynamism. Always. But that dynamism is now more available to all of us. It was embedded, I suppose, in those seemingly dormant
or redundant parts of our brain that Lazaris talks about, lost in the "garbage" of our DNA, but now it is out there and present.

Now the "same" forgiveness (as though it really were the same) can generate more profound (far reaching) results. The dynamism is active and available
more than ever before.

And when we:

1. release our resistance to forgiveness in general;

2. release our resistance to the specific forgiveness;

3. move through the stages of forgiveness in a conscious way;

4. and forgive the "why" of the situation whether it is self-forgiveness or forgiving another we will set that dynamism in action.

As you say, it will change the mass and the movement of that mass in our reality. It will begin a resonance action (more than a Newtonian chain reaction).
The resonance of the energy and force is more powerful than the forgiveness that we do.It is more powerful than us (and our limitations) and it can
change us and our reality surrounding us. It can do it in ways that we cannot yet imagine.

Q. I wonder if you would talk about imagination and the Imaginal Realm; about the different forms and functions of imagination (making it up vs. letting it be) and what "imagination imagining itself" means? Thank you!

JACH:

There are several questions here, so I will begin with different forms of imagination. [s] I think about how Lazaris looks at three types. First, there
is "just imagination," which is the form most often acknowledged in our consensus reality. And it is as the label suggests ... it's just images that
we hold or that we imagine.

Such imagination can be chaotic or it can be random. As with any form of imagination, it can be fuel for negative ego or for the less admirable parts of
ourselves. [s] Among the types of imagination, it is the easiest one for our negative egos to work with. It takes little effort and even less imagination
to burden us with chaotic and random images. [s]

Even so, such imagination can have merit. Sometimes such random "just imagination" images can be a catalyst for deeper thought or exploration. Often it's
not, but it could be. If it is, such deeper exploration could be valuable -- it could have merit. Also, these sorts of images could be as whispers,
encouraging us to turn to a more sophisticated form of imagination.

The second kind of imagination that Lazaris mentions is Active Imagination. This is also a psychological term. And I think that it is this imagination
that is the fuel for most creativity. What begins as random or chaotic images (just imagination) can take form. That form can have direction. And when
the random takes on form, the imagination shifts to become potentially an active imagination.

Being active, it can lead us somewhere. [s] It is the stuff of fantasy, which does have value on its own. And out of fantasy, it is the stuff of fantasia
(or fantasy that carries a message or a deeper meaning, valuable to us). I think this active imagination is also the raw material of dreaming, and
then of visioning. Those among us who are highly creative, for example, may begin their process with just imagination, but they do not settle for those
random images. They organize the images; they bring a sense of order to the randomness. And that's active imagination.

Now, the third type that Lazaris mentions is a Living Imagination. This is the imagination that involves passion and compassion. It engages the body as
well as the mind -- it engages soul and spirit, as well. It is full of images, as are the other two types, but these images have the capacity to inspire.
These images have the capacity to engage our souls and spirits. [s]

I see these three types working in a non-linear fashion. We begin with just imagination and then move forward to an active imagination. We do this as kids
and are often chided for it ... we are often told that our imaginations are just too active. Many people, doing as they are told, stop there. The creative
people hold on to that active imagination, despite what they are told. And somewhere along the line, we slip beyond the boundary of active imagination
and enter the realm of a living imagination. Sometimes we retreat, unaware or ill-equipped to deal with it.

As metaphysicians, however, we have learned to work with that Living Imagination and feel much more comfortable there. [s] And it seems that a Living Imagination
is inclusive of the other types. You can find "just images" there, and you can find an active imagination with direction. And you can find much more.
We can find the stuff of magic. [s] And this brings me to the Imaginal Realm, which exists beyond the boundary of our imagination.

It exists beyond the boundary of a Living Imagination, I think. The "just imagination" type and the Active Imagination type of imaginations don't seem
sophisticated enough to reach the Imaginal. Perhaps that is my limitation. [s] In the Imaginal, there is also imagination. But it is not of our conscious
creation. We can bring our "just imagination" and our active as well as living imaginations into that realm, but there is a different kind of imagination
there. It's one that is not imagined by us, the lesser or the more. It is an imagination that is imagined by itself. It doesn't need us. [g]

Well, what does that really mean? I think that is something we have to imagine for ourselves. [s] I could go on, I suppose. But I hope this reply is helpful.
Thanks for asking.

A Grouping of Questions with Jach's Replies from the Online Conferences

Question: Hi Jach! During "The Joy of Right Living: Crafting the Future and Creating the Present" workshops Lazaris talked about "anchoring futures". Would you please say more about what they are and possibly give a couple of examples? Thanks!!

JACH:

Humm ... Anchoring futures are somewhat of a mystery to me, too. I think of them as the ones with gravity ... referencing the earlier question about core
beliefs and then about our choice cubes. I think of anchoring futures as being akin to the choices we make that form our choice cube, for example.
I think of anchoring futures as the futures out of which emerge our core beliefs and then as the futures that feed or fuel those core beliefs. And
you know, Holly, it ties into our dark law or dark laws as well.

The future creates the present. The future creates the present. I often remind myself of that by saying it over and over to sort of let it sink in all
over again. So where does our current choice cube come from? The answer has to be the future, doesn't it? Now, it is laid against the backdrop of the
past, but it is created in the future.

I think those futures that generate our fundamental beliefs are the anchoring futures. They are not necessarily optimal or optimum, are they? And they
are not clearly beacon or archetypal futures. I would be hard pressed to call them destiny futures, either. But there are certain futures whose primary
or even sole function is to form and then feed our fundamental beliefs.

As an example, the fundamental choice: "I will always seek to be my truer self." Where did that come from? It didn't come from the past, not really. The
idea came "out of the blue" and we attached it to a reference point from the past. First person ... I had this idea that I will always try to be my
truer self ... novel idea ... and it floated by one day ... or Lazaris mentioned it on a tape I was listening to and I decided that it was a neat idea.
So I decided to do that. I may attach it to the past, i.e., come up with things in my past that encourage me to try to be my truer self. But the actual
fundamental choice came out of the future.

And now that I have adopted it as my own, it needs energy to grow and expand. If I don't feed it, it will die. Where does the food come from? My knee jerk
answer is to say from the past, but that really isn't true. There is nothing in my past that can feed this choice that forms my choice cube. The food
comes from the future.

Okay, those futures that create and feed the fundamentals of my life ... be they fundamental beliefs, fundamental choices, core beliefs, fundamental or
core attitudes, etc., ... the fundamentals of my life are the stuff that make up Anchoring Futures.

Now, some of what are Anchoring Futures may be optimal and optimum and have a splash of the archetypal to them. I suspect they do. And those Anchoring
Futures most likely bounce around and influence the Beacon Futures, too. Remember, Lazaris describes the relationships of the various futures as a
matrix ... it is fluid and flexible ... it moves and shifts and grows. And he calls it an Organic Matrix of Futures.

So I think it is self-sustaining. We do contribute to the futures, that's true. But the futures in our Organic Matrix of Futures do not depend upon us
remembering to feed them. Good grief! That's a scary thought, actually. What if our Organic Matrix of Futures depended on us to remember to feed it?
We would all be dead. I mean, surely we would forget and the darn thing would starve to death. [s] So we do feed it, but just in case we are human
[s], our futures feed themselves as well. Well, that's how I think of it anyway. [s]

You ask about examples? Well, I can't think of any specific example. And you know, Holly, I am not altogether sure the Anchoring or the Beacon Futures
are well formed. I am not sure they are storyline oriented as pipeline, optimal, optimum, or destiny future are. They may be more like fractals. Now
please, don't ask me why I think that: I don't know why. It just seems that anchoring Futures anchor with substance, gravity, or weight. They don't
need to make sense or be linear in their expression.

Question: Hi, Jach! On “The Magic of Receiving,” Lazaris talks about the importance of disengaging (from the lie) and engaging the future. I seem to focus on the disengaging part.[s] Would you share some of your favorite techniques for engaging? Thanks!

JACH:

Engaging the future: Dreaming. Actually, I like to work with fantasy ... I like to fantasize about the future as a way of engaging it. This is not as formal
as weeding and seeding the future or as working with any of the various types of futures (beacon futures, archetypal futures, optimal, or optimum futures
are the ones that are easiest to seed).

I just sit and spontaneously fantasize ... I let the fantasies flow without any censorship or judgment. That's how it begins. Sometimes I very consciously
include my child and adolescent (more often my child because my adolescent fantasies are often absurd). Those fantasies hop all over the place. I let
them happen. It might be called daydreaming, but it is often less focused than that.

Once the fantasies slow down, and they do slow down, I then turn to my Higher Self, and I open my unconscious mind: I ask for the fantasia. I ask for the
insight or the knowing (okay, I will settle for an awareness or two) that can come from this array of fantasy. I don't try to force it. I ask. I make
my intention known. I become silent and still and wait. Sometimes I fall asleep. Sometimes I get tired or bored with waiting. So I get up and go about
my day. Often the response will come later that day or in the next several days. That insight or awareness is the kernel I use to connect to my dreams,
my hopes, my wishes, my desires that are the future. That is the kernel that becomes the seed for new dreams. And out of that seed and dream come new
ideas of what to do now in my life.

That's how I disengage from the past ... from the lie. That's how I shift out of obsessing on the past or the lie or the negative stuff my negative ego
would love me to indulge. It's hard to break free sometimes, but this approach seems to work for me once I have cut those ties. Thanks for asking.
I hadn't thought about this in a while. It was helpful to me.

Question: Could you talk a bit what "Right Living" is all about? Thank you.

JACH:

Right living ... Oh, it's been a while. [s] I mean it's been awhile since I have thought about that as a topic, not that it's been a while since I've done
it. [g]

The future creates the present ... we are coming to know this. More than just understanding the concept, we are experiencing the impact and the power of
the future more and more. So we work with creating positive futures ... We weed the negative ones that are in the pipeline of futures. We seed positive
ones to place in that same pipeline. We work with an array of futures. Among them are beacon futures (my favorite) that are out there to serve as their
name implies, as beacons in the sea of possibility and in the sea of the unknown. We can change futures as part of our magical workings to create a
better reality now. But we can also create futures.

Changing, creating, what's the difference?

Well, when we think about it, the difference can be significant. Changing is working with the futures that have already been created. Changing is working
with futures that we have conjured in weak or frightened (or angry) moments, futures that we crafted as children or adolescents or when we were giving
sway to them, and futures that we have lifted out of the past and tossed into the "things to come" for a variety of reasons. Changing has to do with
reviewing the "hand we were dealt" and doing something about it. Change is good. [vbg] It's a whole lot better than the attitude of those who say we
must accept that hand that was dealt.

But we don't have to rely on only changing, we can create future. Okay. And we can create futures that we never would have otherwise created. Right Living
is a term that could be construed as a roadmap for those new futures, futures that have never been, that we can create. Some of those Right Living
futures can be Optimal or Optimum Futures, or they could be Beacon Futures or Archetypal Futures. They might even be Destiny Futures. As we create
them as such, some can flow into the pipeline and become our reality. But even if not that, they can influence the futures that do make it into the
pipeline destined to manifest in our reality. Okay.

Right Living offers guidelines for crafting futures ... for creating them. Detachment/intensity is one concept that goes into Right Living. Do the futures
we conjure -- that we imagine -- express a sense of detachment that at the same time involves intensity? Another concept involved in laying the foundation
for Right Living is complexity/integrity. That is, do the futures we seek to create, that we seed, reflect complexity, and is there space for all of
who we are? Is there space for the weak and the strong of us? Does the particular future have integrity ... our integrity?

And the third component of the foundation of Right Living is the voice of spirit. Does this future that we are creating have a voice (presence), and is
that voice that of our spirit. Detachment/Intensity; Complexity/Integrity; Voice of Spirit ... these are the cornerstones of Right Living and thus
of the futures we want to create fresh and new.

Upon this foundation come the issues of Chivalry and our work -- our true work. Upon the foundation we add courage, loyalty, virtue, etc. (the components
of chivalry), and we add the energies of our true -- our rewarding -- work. And then there is the breath of soul. Is there a vibrancy of soul? In this
crafted future, is there music? Foundation, substance, and now the action. The final components have to do with wisdom with dominion, and with authenticity.

So as we work with what future we want, we can play around with the stuff to have and the things to do. And that's important. We can allow our fantasies
to be conscious so we might find the fantasia within them. We can work with the magic of claiming and demanding and with our subconscious and our unconscious.
This work can be incredibly rewarding. And then as we cull the information that comes from this work, we can give it form. We can mold it into this
foundation: detachment/intensity, complexity/integrity, and a voice of our spirit. We can create an armature of substance: chivalry, work, and the
breath of soul. And then we can make it distinctively and uniquely our own with wisdom, dominion, authenticity.

Then we can let the power of the future ... of crafted futures ... do its thing. And our present reality will reflect and express the qualities more and
more. Our illusion, a reflection of something more real, can be a reflection of the Right Living we have consciously and meticulously put into the
future. For me, that's what Right Living is all about. [s]

A Grouping of Questions with Jach's Replies from the Online Conferences

Dealing with Symbiotic Guilt

Q. How do we deal with positive dread? I have had some truly transcendent experiences. I know I am different, and my life is reflecting that. But I feel like I am going to get in trouble. What do you suggest?

JACH:

First, I think it's important to deal with levels of guilt ... both neurotic guilt and symbiotic guilt. The neurotic guilt is the stuff that makes you
feel like a criminal ... like you are doing something wrong. You say it as if you are going to "get in trouble," and that is the criminal-like guilt.
So before you get to issues of dread, bring that guilt to the surface and then convert it (transmute it) to a usable form. As Lazaris has pointed out
and as we have all experienced, we cannot process guilt -- neurotic guilt -- because it's a synthetic emotion.

So transmute that guilt into a genuine emotion. It could be anger ... anger that you have these transcendent feelings in a world that seems far from transcendent
or with a community that is burdened with non-transcendent issues. That is, you might have anger that there just isn't "space" to be as ebullient as
you are. Maybe the genuine emotion is fear ... fear that it will be taken away; maybe it's fear that it won't last. It could be fear that others would
be jealous or envious. And then again it could be anticipated or expected hurt. So transmute the guilt to its genuine emotion and then process (release)
that emotion.

Symbiotic guilt is the guilt of "not belonging." You know you are different, and you have that "ol' transcendent feelin'" [s] but others in your world
don't. Symbiotic guilt is the urge to belong -- "I am just like you, honest." -- when we feel so very different. Forgiveness is often the key with
this guilt. At least that is what I have found.

Now, with these two guilts (neurotic and symbiotic) out of the way, listen. Be really still and listen. Maybe get off by yourself: solitude is sacred,
and it can be incredibly magical in its mystery. Listen to see if you are sensing dread. Perhaps you are not. And if not, hurray, move on. [s] But
if you are, then I have found the best way to deal with it is to work my way through the narrows. I create a corridor and sense the dread as a ball
of eerie light ... bizarre light that is wrapped in fear. I sense this eerie ball of light at the end of that corridor, and then I make my way, step
by step. I sense the options along the way ... the options of pity, martyr, judgment, rage, etc. I may even dip into one or another of those places,
but I do it very consciously. I don't have to be perfect. I used to think I did ... that I had to stay away from those temptations completely. But
I know better now. In my corridor, I move toward that dread -- that imminent threat of non-being.

I may feel martyred. And when I consider that as an option, I may decide to spend some time there. Yeah, I am feeling very misunderstood and put upon.
I am feeling very unappreciated, and I am not going to pretend otherwise. The trick for me is that I am doing it consciously. I turn it on consciously,
and thus I know I can turn it off just as consciously. And I do. I may give myself ten minutes, or I may give myself a day and a half. The key is,
it's conscious. The other key is that it is my choice -- my decision. I remain in charge. If I do stop to partake of the taste treats along the way,
I then get back on course and eventually move through the concentric circles of defenses that surround the dread.

Then I enter the dread as though it were an all-consuming fire. In certain ways it is (for me). And then I emerge on the other side not knowing what I
will find there. It is always more. Whatever I find there, it is always more ... I am always more. The thing that I always remember about dealing with
dread and with working through the narrows is this: It is like a metaphorical birth canal. And if I come out of it, something new has been born in
me. And that new birth is always something more. You may notice that dealing with positive dread is the same as dealing with negative dread. I think
that is an accurate statement. Dread is dread.

Q. So many people around me, family and some friends, are having health and some relationship crises. Too often I feel overwhelmed and out of balance with the flurry of these crises. I realize I don't want to feel happy or successful -- symbiotic guilt. I am trying to integrate my being a Healer, but I wonder if I am a part of the problem, needing people to be 'sick' in order to offer healing. I wonder how I can redefine the role and function of being a Healer as crisis increases in the world. How do you approach this?

JACH:

My delayed reply is due to the slowness of my reading. [s] Give me a moment.

First, I understand your sense of not wanting to feel happy or successful, and I agree, there is a ray of symbiotic guilt there. For those reading along
who may not understand that, as humans we have a powerful and a profound need to belong. It is the third core need beyond survival and security, and
it precedes our need to be valued. It is that powerful. And when many are in crisis, if we are not, we can feel "left out," as if we do not belong.
And so we feel guilty ... denying our happiness and our success. We feel guilty as a way of being connected and thus as a way to belong. Symbiosis
is a process of connecting and aligning.

As you recognize your guilt, are you also in touch with your anger, your fear, and your hurt? As you witness those in crisis, especially those whom you
love, these feelings can be there, too. So as I begin here, my concern is for you and the unrealized emotions that may be tucked inside that neatly-identified
guilt. I hope that makes sense.

To your major concern: what if you are part of the problem, creating the sickness so you can offer healing? That you are open to the possibility is a strong
indicator that you are not. So ask yourself. You see the possibility that you could be part of the problem. You see the possibility that you could
be creating not the health problems and relationship crises, but the environment in which these things exist in your reality so that you can be the
champion, the knight in shining armor, so that you can be needed and so that you can belong ... not out of guilt, but out of need. Okay.

You see the possibility. Now explore it. Is that what is happening for you? Are you feeling loved and needed because you are offering your healing? Are
you feeling useful now whereas you were useless before? Have you finally found your place, where you fit in your family and with your friends? Most
likely the answers here are, "No. No, that's not what it's about at all."

So once you honestly look at the possibility, you can ask yourself what's true or what's so about it. If you are not getting your identity, your image,
your meaning out of their problems, then you are not "part of the problem." And if their problems are the major source of meeting your needs ... their
illnesses and crises give you survival, security, belonging, and a sense of value ... (having lacked these things without their illnesses and crises),
then you are part of the problem.

My point here is that you don't have to continue to wonder. You can face the possibility and answer it. If you are part of the problem, recognize it, acknowledge
it, forgive yourself, and change. If you are not part of the problem, let it go and move on. [s]

How do you redefine yourself as a healer? I am wondering why you would need to do that. I think this issue is more one of accepting yourself as a healer
in the face of current and building crises. I think the overwhelm often comes from a lack of acceptance. Having said that, let me back up a moment.
When I am feeling overwhelmed with anything in my life, I have come to discover that those feelings or sensations are not coming from a faulty definition
as much as they are coming from a lack of confidence, a lack of respect, and a lack of acceptance (of realization). That is, the overwhelm is coming
from a lack of value. The valued self begins with self-awareness and moves into self-worth followed by self-esteem. All this flows into the pool of
energy, force, and resonance call self-love. And out of that pool come the other three often hidden components of a valued self: self-confidence, self-respect,
and self-realization. So when I am not confident in who I am, when I don't respect myself, or when I lack the realization ... when I don't allow myself
to be real ... I get overwhelmed. Like you, I tend to think I have to redefine myself, but I have found more often I have to accept myself.

And with healing it is especially hard. I think healers have to continually work with self-acceptance (self-realization) and with self-respect (the ability
to look back at yourself). Healing is a hard road to follow, and it is an easy road to fall off of. I remember something Lazaris said long ago about
healers: "Once you open that door, you cannot close it. So be careful. Be sure you are ready to open that door before you do."

So maybe it would be helpful to explore the fuller range of feeling within that guilt, then to face the possibility that you are part of the problem and
either heal it or let it go. And then work with valuing self rather than defining what it means to be a healer in the 21st century.

As I type that, I think of the seduction of looking for sweeping answers ... I think about what I wrote as this online conference began: looking for sweeping
answers that apply to all of humanity is seductive, but looking within ourselves is more revealing. Likewise, looking to refine what it means to be
a healer in the 21st century can be very appealing; it can be very seductive. It can be the stuff of theses. But looking into ourselves can be more
revealing.

I suspect that during this Year of Illumination, we will all be seduced by the sweeping answers when we would be better served to look inward. I suspect
that it will be tempting to shine the light out there rather than to shine it with greater focus "in here."

Q. I've been feeling symbiotic guilt coming up -- especially around the recent London bombing (7/7/05) -- the paradox of growing happier and more successful in a world where there is still so much pain and nightmare. Can you talk a bit about this?

JACH:

Symbiotic guilt ... it can be difficult to deal with, but I have found that mostly it is associated with a sense of belonging. Or better said, it is associated
with a sense of the lack of belonging. To be in a symbiotic relationship with someone or something is to be in alignment, to be in tune, to be connected.
The guilt that we feel that is a guilt of connection -- symbiotic guilt -- comes when we fear separation or loss (the pain of love and the fear of
love). It seems you outline it nicely here ... as you feel happier and happier, as you feel more and more successful, and as you feel a greater sense
of fulfillment with your success, there is a loneliness that comes along. Those around you aren't as happy or as successful. Or even if they are, they
don't seem to be as fulfilled as you are, or they don't feel it as you do. Maybe they do, but it doesn't seem so to you.

And I suspect that symbiotic guilt is particularly associated with issues of reward, intimacy, meaningfulness, and fulfillment ... even more than with
the simple matters of success or happiness. I think that even when people feel happy and are successful, the degrees of reward, intimacy, meaningfulness,
and fulfillment are the determining factors.

And when there is disparity there, often we feel alone ... we feel separate ... we feel as if we don't fit or that we don't belong. We can get arrogant
about that ... we can turn to the judgmental postures of better than ... to assuage the feeling. And/or we can turn to guilt ... symbiotic guilt ...
as a means to narrow the gap and to feel as if we, indeed, do belong or that indeed we are connected. "I feel your pain." And thus I belong and you
belong and we belong to each other. [s]

So as you discover your personal sense of guilt here, I would look to your personal sense of being cut off and of not belonging. I would look to the challenges
to belonging (from the workshop on the miracle of belonging and on receiving the miraculous gift of belonging from the Ancients). I would also take
a walk in the Dark Wood and work to move beyond it. And in this, I would open up to receiving the gift of belonging. I would ask my Higher Self to
give you that gift. Work with "your Ancient One." And I would also do a blending with your Higher Self ... maybe with Lazaris as well ... and ask for
the gift and then demand and claim that gift. I bet the guilt vanishes after that. [s]

A Grouping of Questions with Jach's Replies from the Online Conferences

"Amid all the mysteries, it is forgiveness that is the miracle of magic - is the miracle of your magic." (Lazaris)

Many people have asked Jach about aspects of forgiveness. Here are some of his answers, incorporating many of the most salient points about the forgiveness process, influences that shape forgiveness, and some favorite techniques for engaging this miraculous energy.

JACH:

Forgiveness is such a powerful tool; it is only recently that I have come to realize that it is far more powerful than I had thought. We often think of
forgiveness as the proper thing to do, and we have all heard the clichés about the importance and beauty of it. It's the Christian thing to do or the
spiritual thing to do. And it is . . . I mean, those thoughts are correct.

But it is more than that, too. It truly is a powerful technique that can profoundly and instantly change our reality. That is why the title tonight is:
The Dynamism of Forgiveness.

Dynamism describes a process whereby the nature of reality -- of our illusion -- is a function of force and energy rather than of movement and mass. The
velocity and mass are quantitative measurements, but the true building blocks are energy and force. It takes very little energy and force to generate
a change in mass.

And reality, though an illusion, is a great feedback mechanism. It is the best biofeedback machine we have. [g] And I think the freedom that we feel when
we forgive and the sense of knowing we attain is a big part of that feedback. Perhaps we have forgiven ourselves enough when we feel that release.

Also, there are stages of forgiveness. I think once we have honestly and consciously moved through those stages, the forgiveness will be enough. I also
think that when we do not go through the specific stages of forgiveness we risk falling short of our goal.

The stages for those who are not familiar with them are:

Stage One: Denial ... denying the need to forgive ourselves or others or denying the value of forgiveness.

Stage Two: Then comes the blame stage. We know that blaming does not work, but that does not stop us from doing it in life. [g] And it is the second stage
of forgiveness. Once we really own that there is something to forgive and that there is value in forgiving, then we hit the blame stage. This can be
blaming others ... or it can be self blame. But it is a stage, as Lazaris points out, and we need to deal with it. I think if we ignore this stage,
for example, the forgiveness risks not being complete.

Stage Three: Self-pity ... Yeah, need I say more? [g]

Stage Four: Indignation ... This is such a powerful stage. And we, spiritual people that we are, often deny this stage or want to say we don't have this
stage, but it is there. I have found that it is essential to respect this stage.

Fifth Stage: Becoming conscious of the why of the situation or circumstance of forgiveness ... learning the lesson that is there ... giving meaning and
significance to the constricting and the expanding potentials of the situation before forgiving it.

Stage Six: Freedom. See, that is why I think we know when we are done ... freedom.

Stage Seven: The final stage that Lazaris talks of: Integration ... the actual forgiving of self and then of others and moving on ... He stresses the moving
on ... let it go and move on ... it is part of the intensity of the force and energy that is the dynamism of forgiveness.

Q. How does indebtedness play into this dynamism?

JACH:

I think this is an important question and I think it goes back to the size (not the speed) of forgiveness. We can each do the same meditation and process
of forgiveness ... and it can be around the same kind of issue ... yet for one of us the size of that forgiveness may be much larger than it is for
the other.

What influences the size of forgiveness is the energy and force that we muster ... what influences the size of forgiveness alters the impact of the dynamism.
Lazaris points out certain things that can influence the impact of the force and energy.

This is an important point, I think. The dynamism: it takes very little force and energy to change reality. It is the force and energy not the movement
and mass. Okay. It takes very little energy. I use a little energy and force. You use a little energy and force. The dynamics or dynamism for each
of us is the same. What then makes the size of the forgiveness different? ... How we let that dynamism impact us.

See, forgiveness is not a reward. It is not something we earn. It is an energy. It is non-discriminatory. It does not discriminate; we do. It does not
set boundaries of its size; we do. The things that can influence the size of forgiveness:

1. The sources of the pain ... who did it to us.

2. The dimensions of the pain ... length, width, depth, and the "space-time" of the pain.

3. What is our reaction pattern to being wronged? How much do we hurt ourselves and punish others when we are wronged?

4. Our resistance to the concepts and ideas of forgiveness. Our reluctance to entertain and follow through upon the concepts and ideas of forgiveness.

5. Stuck in one or another stage of forgiveness ... stuck in pity or in blame or in indignation ... often denying that there is any indignation. [g]

6. The dimensions of our love also are key. If those dimensions of love are shallow, forgiveness will probably be shallow.

7. Relationship with the future. If we do not have a working rapport with the future, the size of forgiveness can be severely affected.

So all of this ties into indebtedness ... which also dampens and can stop the energy and force of forgiveness totally. Even more energy and more force
... is not the answer when it comes to indebtedness.

Q: Why does forgiving often feel like giving in or wimping out?

JACH:

Well, I know what you mean. I have felt that, and I have felt waves and waves of anger when I have approached forgiveness from that point of view. We are
conditioned to think that. Chauvinism with its twists teaches us that the only acceptable way to be is to be on top of the heap ... to be the best
and to be number one ... to be king of the mountain in the hierarchy of competition and comparison.

Forgiveness, on this battleground, is tantamount to defeat. Forgiveness, on that turf, is utter failure. "Cry Uncle." "I give." We are conditioned.

Until we face and deny that conditioning ... until we start defining what forgiveness is for us ... we are often bound by that conditioning. That conditioning
is an avenue of least effort. It is easy to feel that it is wimpy to forgive.

It is a strange irony, isn't it, that the consensus society in America holds Christian values ... paramount in such values is the value of forgiveness
... yet it is held as weak and giving in. I wonder how a good Christian holds it when Jesus talked of forgiveness and forgave? Jesus, the Wimp? Jesus,
the Loser, who gave up? I doubt it. [g]

Beyond that conditioning, I think we each need to look at why we would want to continue feeling that way. As I said before, for someone who is naive ...
who has not been engaged and involved in spiritual pursuits… following the conditioning would continue to make sense.

Once we are free of that conditioning, then we have to ask ourselves why we persist. It doesn't mean we are bad or wrong. We may have other agendas ...
maybe we have other agendas for which we need to ... that's right ... forgive ourselves. [g]

Q: Jach, it seems permission and authority are involved in self-forgiveness. Can you speak about this?

JACH:

LOL ... The $5.00 will be in the mail tomorrow ... [g] (Because the question was so appropriate ... people might think I put you up to it. [g])

Anyway ... Lazaris has talked so much already this year about the new kind of empowerment that involves finding and creating permission inside us ... finding
and creating authority (authorship, originality, innovativeness, inventiveness) inside ourselves. But you know, even as we come to understand and know
this ... some of us will still look outside ourselves.

Some of us will still consider any permission we might grant or authority we might have is tainted or spoiled, as we are tainted and spoiled. When we are
caught in the unresolved stages of forgiveness ... we will find it more difficult to empower ourselves.

The explanations and reasons ... all valid and legitimate ... may be many ... but the answer or the solution can come down to forgiveness. As I responded
to a previous question, is there a limit?

Forgiveness is not a panacea ... it is not the one prescription that is going to solve all our ills. But forgiveness can be ... CAN BE … a phenomenal
tool toward that end. It can, likewise, play a critical and phenomenal role in empowerment.

Q: When you say it takes very little energy and force to change a mass, are you saying that forgiveness is such a force that can change a "mass," can change a lot of issues for us by forgiving ourselves around one issue, and then that change translates into changes perhaps in other areas where we weren't even working on forgiving ourselves?

JACH:

And another $5.00 is on its way! [g] What a fun question. [g] Yes, that is how it seems to me. That is also my experience.

Forgiveness *used* to work one way ... it did not have that dynamism that it seems to have now. I would find an issue, forgive myself, and move on. The
forgiveness would reflect in my world and it was wonderful. It was magical and I discovered a bit more of who I really am. But everything is different
now.

Forgiveness has always had a dynamism. Always ... but that dynamism is now more available to all of us. It was embedded, I suppose, in those seemingly
dormant or redundant parts of our brain that Lazaris talks about ... lost in the "garbage" of our DNA ... but now it is out there and present.

Now the "same" forgiveness (as though it really were the same) can generate more profound (far reaching) results. The dynamism is active and available
more than ever before.

And when we:

1. Release our resistance to forgiveness in general;

2. Release our resistance to the specific forgiveness;

3. Move through the stages of forgiveness in a conscious way;

4. And forgive the "why" of the situation whether it is self-forgiveness or forgiving another ... we will set that dynamism in action.

As you say, it will change the mass and the movement of that mass in our reality. It will begin a resonance action (more than a Newtonian chain reaction).
The resonance of the energy and force is more powerful than the forgiveness that we do ... it is more powerful than us (and our limitations) ... and
it can change us and our reality surrounding us. It can do it in ways that we cannot yet imagine. Thanks for asking about that.

Q: Jach, Would you please suggest some techniques to use while working with forgiveness? Thank you!

JACH:

Well, the first thing that comes to mind is that forgiveness is the technique to use. [s] As I read your question again, I see that you are asking about
techniques in preparation for working with the specific forgiveness. [s]

That really varies. It depends upon the nature of the forgiveness. I mean, if you are working to forgive yourself, I find working with the basics (recognition,
acknowledgement) to be the most solid. I know they are key to allowing the actual forgiveness of self to work. Without thorough recognition of what
it is we want to forgive in ourselves, and without full acknowledgement that we created it, the forgiveness rituals may be helpful, but they won't
be fully valuable. So in that work of recognizing and acknowledging, I think it is critical to also work with self-love.

What I do in such cases is sit down and recognize the situation, and I stay with that as long as necessary. I can most often distinguish when I am just
intellectually recognizing and when I slip over that boundary and begin to emotionally recognize "what I have done." For me, getting to that emotional
recognition is essential. Once there, I work with choice as I work with acknowledging. I keep going back to the fact that it was MY choice. MY choice
... and it was my conscious choice. It's hard at times, but I work to stick with it.

And when I can genuinely see that I created it and that it was my conscious choice to do that, then I rush in there with self-love. I don't like the me
who did whatever, but that doesn't have to preclude loving ... loving the me who did the deed. And I think that dose of self-love ... loving the "ugly"
or "bad" me ... is critical.

Then I have the substance to forgive. I do the ritual of forgiveness ... I like the Valley of Forgiveness Technique for such things ... and it seems to
work for me. [vbg] So I guess working with choice and working with self-love and loving are the additional components that I work with in such cases.

But if it's another whom you are forgiving, then it can involve any number of techniques to deal with the residual emotions surrounding or cocooning the
situation. It may involve venting anger or writing "Hate Letters" that never get mailed or emailed. [s] It may involve working with healing hurt. Or
it may involve sitting with your Higher Self and releasing the disturbing or errant emotions.

I think we can recognize and acknowledge with great acuity. And we can work with forgiving others, but if we are still angry, hurt, fearful, resentful,
or jealous -- or still wrapped in a constricting emotion -- that forgiveness is going to be dulled. I don't mean it won't work, but its full effect
will be dulled or diminished if we still (overtly or covertly -- secretly) harbor those imprisoning emotions whatever they are. So when it comes to
forgiving others, beyond the basics, perhaps it would be to work with choice, love, and emotional release.

The other thing I would say here is that it is also important to release any hidden agendas that we might be harboring ... agendas hidden in our acknowledgements
that we created (mostly by allowing) this ... or agendas hidden in our acts of forgiveness themselves.

I hope this reply spoke to some of what you were questioning. Thanks for asking.

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Lazaris' meditations for forgiving ourselves and forgiving others are incorporated in his recording “Forgiveness: The Miracle of Magic (Excerpts),” available as CDs
or cassettes, and can also be downloaded or streamed (go to the streaming / downloading section of our shopping cart).